Race Week Emilia Romagna GP
It's Race Weekend in Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy!
Emilia-Romagna GP History
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is hosted at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, commonly referred to as "Imola"—a relatively recent addition to the Formula 1 calendar, but with a long history in the sport. Penciled into the calendar in 2020 after a reshuffling due to the global pandemic, a "one-off" Imola found itself back on the F1 after a fifteen-year absence—a staple on the calendar for 25+ years ('81-'06). Williams and Ferrari are tied with eight wins, and Michael Schumacher leads with seven victories at Imola, six of which were achieved with Ferrari. Since its 2020 re-addition, Max Verstappen has won three of the four races. The 2023 Grand Prix was cancelled due to an extreme flood in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. This could be the last time we see this Grand Prix for a few years, as it is out of contract after the 2025 season, and rumors suggest new races may take its place on the limited calendar. Rich in history and breathtaking surroundings, send this one off with a chef's kiss. It's F1 time in northern Italy.
About the Track: The Imola Circuit, officially called the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, broke ground in 1950 and hosted its first motorcycle race in 1953. F1 began on the calendar in the 1960s.
Dedicated to the Ferrari founder, Enzo, and his Son Dino Ferrari, it started bearing the Ferrari name in the late 1950s. In the late 2000s, Hermann Tilke led a massive circuit reconstruction, updating the circuit for more modern racing. The Formula 1 circuit features 19 turns and spans 4.909 km (3.050 miles), and the race consists of 63 laps.
TOP TAKEAWAYS
MCLAREN: A clear lead in the constructor’s title and the driver's title, I don't think that would have been a crazy prediction before the season started, but who is leading the driver's title is... Oscar, outperforming Lando and has taken the outright lead in the title. Oscar calmly and quietly puts the driver's title in a chokehold early in the season, and if the chips fall towards Oscar, he could walk out of 2025 with a Driver's Title. This should be a fascinating team dynamic over the next few weeks.
Mercedes: The most under-the-radar story in F1 is George Russell quietly putting up big performances week after week. After most of the attention went to the rookie Kimi Antonelli's sprint race pole in qualifying, George was outqualified by his teammate for the sprint and grand prix. While Kimi was getting the praises for the qualifying runs, George quietly put up a 4th-place in the sprint and his fourth Grand Prix podium in six races, edging out Max Verstappen for third place. Mercedes struggled a bit last season at Imola, but this year will be a new story. Kimi's first home GP and George on a hot streak, vibes are high in Italy for Mercedes.
Red Bull: Max stunned F1 again with a cracking qualifying lap, setting pole for the Miami GP by six hundredths of a second just a few days after his new baby girl, Lily, was born. The McLaren's race pace was real and tough to outpace, and Max would finish the race in fourth place. Yuki made small progress in Miami, making Q3 and scoring points. This must be the baseline and forward motion from here for Red Bull. It's reaching a critical point for a chance at second or third in the constructors.
Ferrari: Ferrari had an up-and-down weekend. Lewis found himself on the podium of the sprint race for his second podium in two sprint races. While race day was less glamorous, both cars finished seventh and eighth, having started from eighth and twelfth place qualifying positions. Imola is a home race for Ferrari; the name is in the circuit name. Vibes should be immaculate in Italy. Charles and Lewis put it all out there for the home crowd, and this could be a legendary weekend for Ferrari in Italy; it doesn't get much better than that.
Williams: Albon is bringing the heat, again, and Carlos is catching up. It's a good time to be a Williams fan; the team is peaking, the drivers are fast, and it's a points party for Williams in 2025. Albon brings another banger helmet to Miami, featuring the classic Florida orange helmet design, and he also brings home a second fifth-place finish of the season. Albon is setting a very high standard for the Williams season, and Carlos is gradually finding his performance with the team; it should progress nicely. I see multiple top 5 finishes this season, is a podium out of the question?
Haas: It was not the weekend Haas was hoping for. Miami was a pointless sprint and Grand Prix race for Haas. It was not the best weekend for the team, but those things happen in F1. Haas must now forget about Miami and look towards Imola. The team had pace last year in Imola but could not walk away with any points. I see Haas closing the points gap again this weekend, and with a bit of luck, could secure a nice points haul.
Aston Martin: Lance Stroll left Miami with another four points. While I seem only to hear Lance Stroll's haters, he has single-handedly scored all of the team's points this season; that's a remarkable stat. Alonso is due for a points weekend. The Aston-Martin team needs to build some momentum soon, or this season could feel long for them. It feels like it will click at some point, but it's imperative that it happens sooner rather than later.
VCARB: Lawson has yet to score a point in F1, counting Red Bull and VCARB, and the pointless streak continued through Miami. VCARB may start off the weekend a step behind; this will be the first time Liam and Isack race in F1 at Imola. Isack was on the cusp of taking home the final point at Miami, but could not deliver. Both VCARB cars made it into Q3 last season at Imola, with Ricciardo and Tsunoda. The cars will be close; let's see if the drivers can overcome their inexperience at Imola and score some points.
Alpine: Pierre took the last point in the sprint race, so it wasn't a complete loss of the weekend. However, Alpine was unable to score points in the Grand Prix, and Doohan got tangled up in a first-lap accident, perhaps the kiss of death. While the weekend wasn’t a huge success for Alpine, the bigger news was that Jack Doohan was replaced by Franco Colapinto a day after the race. This is another example of the harsh reality faced by an F1 driver. It's a tough break for Jack, but there will be a ton of attention on young Franco in Imola.
Kick-Sauber: The expectations are low this season for the Kick-Sauber team; it would not surprise anyone to see Nico or Gabriel scoring some points. Both drivers are packed with potential, and in the right circumstances, the team is capable of scoring points; it just hasn't lined up other than in Australia.
